1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wiring fixing member for fixing wiring to a mating member.
2. Related Art
Various electronic equipments are mounted on a mobile body such as an automobile. Therefore, wire harnesses are installed in the automobile so as to supply electric power from a power source or the like to the electronic equipments and also to transmit control signals from a computer or the like to the electronic equipments. The wire harness comprises a plurality of wires, and connectors secured to end portions of the wires.
The wire comprises an electrically-conductive conductor, and a sheath portion which is made of an insulative synthetic resin and covers the conductor. The wire is a so-called sheathed wire. The connector comprises electrically-conductive metal terminals, and an insulative connector housing. The metal terminal is secured to the end portion or other portion of the wire, and is electrically connected to the conductor of the wire. The connector housing is formed into a box-like shape, and receives the metal terminals.
One example of holding members for the wire harness is the type which holds the wire harness received in a generally cylindrical corrugated tube. Referring to this wire harness holding member, a plurality of grooves are formed in an outer periphery of the corrugated tube, and the plurality of grooves are arranged at equal intervals in a direction of an axis of the corrugated tube, and each groove is formed over an entire circumference of the corrugated tube. With this construction, the corrugated tube has a generally bellows-shape, and reduces damage applied from other parts to the wire harness.
The holding member has a generally cylindrical shape, and the corrugated tube is passed through the holding member, so that the wire harness is held by the holding member through the corrugated tube. A generally annular plate-like rib is formed within the holding member, and this rib is inserted in the groove of the corrugated tube, thereby preventing the axial movement of the corrugated tube relative to the holding member.
Biting projections are formed within the holding member, and the biting projections bite into the outer periphery of the corrugated tube, thereby preventing the rotation of the corrugated tube relative to the holding member.
Another conventional holding member for holding a wire-like member such as a wire harness is disclosed in JP-UM-A-6-71906 Publication. In this holding member, a pair of elastic holding walls which are open respectively in opposite directions are formed respectively on opposite end portions of an upper surface of a base plate, and a space larger than the diameter of the wire-like member is formed between the two elastic holding walls. With this construction, merely by turning the wire-like member through an angle of 90 degrees in normal and reverse directions on the base plate, the wire-like member can be quite easily mounted on and removed from the base plate.
Although the operations for mounting and removing the wire-like member relative to the base plate have been simplified by the use of the holding member of the above JP-UM-A-6-71906 Publication, there has been encountered a problem that the holding member increases in size when the wire-like member becomes thick with an increased number of the wires and for other reasons. Therefore, the holding member has been required to have a smaller design, and it has been necessary to eagerly study the possibility of such a small design.